The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/85079
2012 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE Offensive Lineman QUINCY MCKINNEY pect and the No. 13 prep school recruit nationally by Rivals. com … Listed by 247Sports as a three-star recruit and the No. 14 postgrad prospect in the nation … Rated by Scout.com and ESPN as a three-star prospect … Coming out of Carver High in Columbus, Ga., in 2011, was rated the 61st-best offensive line- man in the country and 63rd-best player in Georgia by Rivals. com … Also listed as a three-star prospect and the No. 43 of- fensive guard nationally by Scout.com … Ranked by 247Sports as a three-star prospect … Listed by the Atlanta Journal Constitu- tion as the No. 43 player in the 2011 Georgia class … Played in the 2010 Georgia North-South All-Star Football Classic, where he was named one of the top players in the game by 247Sports. Off the field: Lived in New Jersey before moving to Georgia in 2008. Quotable: "McKinney is a tough guy with good upper body playing strength school in 2010, McKinney clocked a shuttle run at 4.62 seconds and had a 23-inch vertical leap. Honors/accomplishments: Regarded as a three-star pros- Columbus, Ga./Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy • 6-3 • 300 Pounds Measurables: At a combine before his senior season of high DESMOND OWINO garded as a three-star prospect and the 26th-best player in North Carolina by Rivals.com … Ranked as the No. 24 player in the state by SuperPrep … Listed by 247Sports as a three-star recruit, the No. 35 player in North Carolina and the No. 64 strongside defensive end nationally … Rated as a two-star prospect and the No. 154 defensive end in the country by Scout.com … Ranked as a three-star recruit, the No. 41 prospect in the state and the No. 117 defensive end nationally by ESPN … Named to the 2011 All-OT Football Team by WRAL. Stats: Averaged six tackles a game as a senior and had six sacks for 0-11 Sand- Measurables: Runs the 40-yard dash in 4.8 seconds. Honors/accomplishments: Re- Raleigh/Sanderson High • 6-5 • 235 Pounds Defensive End but enrolled at Fork Union to improve his academic transcripts. In November, McKinney decided to decommit in a mutual decision with South Carolina. NC State, Mississippi State and Rutgers quickly moved in on McKinney, but the Pack got him on campus first. He officially visited for the season-finale win over Maryland Nov. 26 and committed days later. McKinney enrolled in January. Recruiter of record: Offensive line coach Jim Bridge. Scouting report: McKinney's experience mainly has been at along with an aggressive finishing attitude. Plays tackle. However, his size and athleticism are better suited for the offensive guard position at the major level of competition." — ESPN. Recruitment: McKinney signed with South Carolina in 2011, more advanced than most freshman offensive linemen. Having said that, he is still a good bet to redshirt. M.J. SALAHUDDIN onds at State's summer camp … Runs the shuttle in 4.5 seconds and has a 30-inch vertical leap. Honors/accomplishments: Rated by Rivals. Measurables: Ran the 40-yard dash in 4.62 sec- Fayetteville, N.C./Jack Britt High • 6-2 • 200 Pounds Linebacker tackle, but he might also project as a guard at the college level. He moves well for his size, which is above average for a lineman entering college. McKinney's upside is high. 2012 projection: McKinney was able to enroll in January, and because he spent a semester at prep school he should be in 2011. Nearly every school in the state made him a priority after seeing his high- light tape, but UNC made the quickest impression and landed a verbal commitment in November. After the UNC coaching change, he officially visited NC State the weekend of Jan. 14 and verbally committed Jan. 17. Recruiter of record: Defensive coordinator Mike Archer. Scouting report: Owino is very raw, but that might be a good thing. Since he and runs fast, but he plays hard. He'll get knocked and chase after a play 30 yards away. He didn't know anything about football — he still doesn't know a lot — but he plays so hard and wants to learn." — Sanderson coach Tony Lewis in The News and Observer. Recruitment: Owino's stock took off after he played his first season of football erson. Off the field: From Nairobi, Kenya, Owino moved to the United States in De- cember of 2010 … Played rugby in Africa and first tried basketball in the United States before trying out for football this fall … Sister Vivian is working on a master's in mechanical engineering at Ohio State and brother Duncan is studying environ- mental science at Washington State … Brother Dan played basketball at Peninsula College in Seattle. Quotable: "He does all the things well that you can't teach. He not only is big com as a three-star prospect and the No. 29 player in the state … Ranked the No. 13 recruit in the state by ACC Area Sports Journal … Listed as a three-star prospect, the 31st-best player in North Carolina and the No. 61 safety in the country by 247Sports … Regarded as a three-star prospect, the No. 44 safety in the country and the No. 38 recruit in the state by ESPN … Called the No. 30 prospect in the state by SuperPrep … Played in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas All-Star Game and had six tackles, including one for loss, to tie for the second most on the North Carolina squad … Picked first-team all-state and 4A all-state by NCPreps.com … Named first-team all- conference as a senior … Was named a top performer at the Rivals.com/VTO Showcase Camp in Charlotte by Rivals.com. Stats: Had 110 tackles, three sacks, eight pass breakups, two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown, a forced fumble and a safety as a senior … Helped Jack Britt finish 11-3 and reach the semifinals of the state 4-AA playoffs … Made 79 tackles, three sacks, an interception, four pass breakups and a fumble recovery as a junior. Off the field: Father Majid Salahuddin is a master sergeant in the 82nd Sustainment Brigade stationed in Fort Bragg … Is a relative of former UNC and current Denver Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson. Quotable: "He's one that's going to work his butt off. I always tell people there are a to run a good 40-yard dash time and prove to the Wolfpack coaches he was worth a scholarship offer. He was clocked at 4.62 seconds and impressed when working out with the linebackers despite being a safety at Jack Britt. He earned an offer, and he committed June 27. Recruiter of record: Offensive line coach Jim Bridge. Scouting report: Salahuddin is a tweener between safety and linebacker, but he' has limited experience playing football, Owino will not have many bad habits to break. He has considerable amounts of potential given his above-average athleti- cism and toughness developed from years of playing rugby, and he showed on film a high motor. 2012 projection: Owino has played football for only one season, so he still has much to learn and thus would probably be best suited to redshirt this fall. 34 ■ THE WOLFPACKER playing field next fall, but Salahuddin probably needs to get bigger and stronger before he's ready to make a contribution. suited to play strongside linebacker at NC State. That position requires a good athlete who can cover as well as defend in the box. Salahuddin is known for his work ethic and character, and he proved at the Shrine Bowl that he projects as a solid strongside linebacker for the Wolfpack. 2012 projection: There is an opening at linebacker for a freshman to sneak onto the s well Recruitment: Salahuddin arrived at NC State's summer camp in June determined " — Jack Britt head coach Richard Bailey. lot of five-star guys that have three-star work ethics. M.J. may not be but a three-star guy, but he's got a five-star work ethic. He's going to make himself into a five-star player, just by sheer will.